20 Show Tunes And Their Pop Song Counterparts

Part of Broadway’s appeal to the masses is its ability to cross platforms. For example, show tunes such as “Aquarius” (“Hair”), “Superstar” (Jesus Christ Superstar), and “One Night In Bangkok (“Chess”)” were huge hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Other show tunes, while not released as singles, have their own thematically similar parallels in pop music. Here are twenty of our favorite Broadway-to-Pop counterparts!

“Waste no time, weep no more Show him what the door is for Rub him out of the roll call And drum him out of your dreams”

“Two: Don’t let him in You’ll have to kick him out again Three: Don’t be his friend You know you’re gonna wake up in his bed in the morning And if you’re under him, you ain’t gettin’ over him”

2. “Helpless” (Hamilton) –> “Countdown” (Beyonce)

“Helpless! Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m helpless! Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em”

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“Killing me softly, and I’m still falling. Still the one I need, I will always be with you.”

3. “Out Tonight” (RENT) –> “Tik Tok” (Kesha)

“Let’s Go Ouuuuuut Tonight I Have To Go Ouuuuuut Tonight You Wanna Play? Let’s Run Away We Won’t Be Back Before It’s Christmas day Take Me Ouuuuuut Tonight (Meow)”

“Tonight, I’m-a fight Till we see the sunlight Tick-tock on the clock But the party don’t stop, no”

4. “Get Out And Stay Out” (9 to 5) –> “Bye Bye Bye” (*NSYNC)

“So get out and stay out, I’ve finally had enough Don’t kiss me on your way out, it wouldn’t move me much You used me, abused me, you cheated and you lied So get out and stay out, I’m taking back my life”

“Don’t want to be a fool for you Just another player in your game for two You may hate me but it ain’t no lie Baby bye bye bye”

5. “I’m Not That Girl” (Wicked) –> “Dancing On My Own” (Robyn)

“Hands touch, eyes meet Sudden silence, sudden heat Hearts leap in a giddy whirl He could be that boy But I’m not that girl”

“I’m in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh oh oh I’m right over here, why can’t you see me, oh oh oh And I’m giving it my all, but I’m not the guy you’re taking home, ooh I keep dancing on my own”

6. “Tonight” (West Side Story) –> “Teenage Dream” (Katy Perry)

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“Tonight, tonight The world is full of light With suns and moons all over the place Tonight, tonight The world is wild and bright Going mad Shooting sparks into space”

“Let’s go all the way tonight No regrets, just love We can dance until we die You and I We’ll be young forever You make me feel like I’m living a, teenage, dream The way you turn me on I, can’t, sleep Let’s runaway And don’t ever look back Don’t ever look back”

7. “Candy Store” (Heathers) –> “Primadonna” (Marina and the Diamonds)

“Time for you to prove you’re not a loser anymore Step into my candy store!”

“So let’s bring on the men And let the fun begin A little touch of sin Why wait another minute?!”

“God bless Mother Nature, she’s a single woman too She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do She taught every angel to rearrange the sky So that each and every woman could find her perfect guy”

12. “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” (The Phantom of the Opera)–> “My Immortal” (Evanescence)

Knowing we must say goodbye Try to forgive, teach me to live Give me the strength to try No more memories, no more silent tears No more gazing across the wasted years Help me say goodbye”

“I’ve tried so hard to tell myself that you’re gone But though you’re still with me I’ve been alone all along”

13. “Cell Block Tango” (Chicago) –> “Hit Em Up Style” (Blu Cantrell)

“He had it coming He had it coming He only had himself to blame If you’d have been there If you’d have heard it I betcha you would have done the same!”

“There go the dreams we used to say (Oops) There goes the time we spent away (Oops) There goes the love I had but you cheated on me And that’s worth that now”

Joseph Kisiday is a 2016 graduate from Christopher Newport University, majoring in Music Composition. Joseph's love for theatre came at a young age through discovering the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber, such as "Cats" and "The Phantom of the Opera." When he is not writing, Joseph can be found watching operas or Miyazaki films.